Characterization of target organs for calcitonin in lower and higher vertebrates.

The bindings of calcitonin was investigated in trout bone, kidney and gill and rat bone and kidney. Specific binding of calcitonin was observed in all tissues tested except fish kidney membranes. The affinity constants for the sites of high affinity-low capacity (in trout bone and rat kidney) or for the unique site (in trout gill and rat bone) were of the same order of magnitude (2.0-9.0 x 10(9) M-1), the number of binding sites per mg of protein being higher in rat bone homogenates than in other tissues. These studies strongly support the theory that the gill in fishes is likely to perform some of the functions of the kidney in mammals.